AmericanSimRacing

New Team Concept, iRacing leads to Revivial of ASRS!

2011-09-02T11:12:00.004-04:00

The American Sim Racing Series is back, and the racing is better than ever! Even bigger, a change in the management has led to changes that everyone long awaited. A new "team" management style, where ASRS President Jim Foose, Vice President Eric Bannenberg and Assistant Race Director Marc Meyers work together to solve issues and look for trends to make decisions for the future had brought about much change in the way things are run at the top.

"There is a a transparency factor here, something we wanted for many years" Foose said. "A driver can ask any one of the officials why a decision was made and we can all answer it with great confidence, because we are all greatly involved in the day to day operations of ASRS".

Bannenberg, who has been an ASRS Official since 2005 was heavily involved in the beginning talks with iRacing.com about bringing ASRS over to iRacing.com. He brokered the deals we have for our charter members. Bannenberg also paid for the first week of the season out of his own pocket, sharing some of the responsibility with Foose, who has paid many of the bills for several years, even after membership fees and sponsorship funds had been depleted.

"It's been a long time since I felt we had a team that could handle he situations we have been through in the past four months, but today I can say this is by far the best officiating team ASRS has ever had" said Foose. "It's a long way to the top, and such a short tumble to rock bottom, we have been there this year, but the recent energy and excitement at ASRS shows we are on our way upward now!"

Registration is always open at the American Sim Racing Series and is Simple and fun! Check out www.americansimracing.com to join in the action and excitement of Fast, Fun and Friendly racing at ASRS!

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Now in its tenth year of racing, ASRS provides side by side racing action that keeps you on the edge of your seat all race long. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

ASRS Offering Summer Sizzler Pricing

2010-06-17T14:59:00.004-04:00

(CLEVELAND, OH) American Sim Racing Series (ASRS) Officials announced a change to their price structure now through July 31st to stimulate the racing in the ASRS TheCrewShirt.com Cup Series.

For drivers who intend to compete in the ASRS TheCrewShirt.com Cup Series, ASRS Officials will offer free memberships. The only requirement is that drivers taking advantage of the Summer Sizzler Price Cup race in five of nine events scheduled in the C and D seasons following activation of their membership. When applying for membership to receive Summer Sizzler Pricing, drivers must enter “Sizzler” in the Coupon Code field. The free membership is good for all series run by ASRS, but drivers must compete in TheCrewShirt.com Cup Series events to obtain the membership. This offer is only available to drivers not currently racing in the ASRS. ASRS Officials reserve the right to cancel, modify or extend this program at anytime without prior notice.

The ASRS TheCrewShirt.com Cup Series races 36 races on Monday nights, featuring four seasons of nine races. Open setups are utilized at all tracks except road courses and super speedways (Daytona and Talladega).

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

Car Count Up, Cautions Down at ASRS!

2010-03-22T12:51:00.004-04:00

The new trend at ASRS is one that is a great news for anyone who loves racing and hates riding around under caution. Cautions are down at ASRS in 2010!

With more drivers attending events than in the past several years, the ASRS scored a victory in two categories. Car counts have been on the rise, while the cautions are less than half of what they were at this time one year ago in the All American Series (the entry level of the ASRS ladder).

The addition of the ASRS TheCrewShirt.com Cup Series and the resurgance of the ASRS Camping World Truck Series coupled with a bit of a revival of the All American Series have added up to a great combination for ASRS, which prides itself on it's short track roots and speedway excitement.

"I attribute alot of our growth this season to our strong social networking presence this year, we have added Facebook and Twitter pages in the last year to allow us to better connect with our members and others in the community" ASRS President Jim Foose said of the growth. "The cautions dropping is just a product of having a strong group of drivers on the track each week, these guys really get to know one another by racing each week together, even the part time drivers here are working to show the other drivers that they are here to race competitively and without many mistakes".

All the growth has resulted in closer racing, which normally would lead to more incidents, however the strong pool of drivers at ASRS have proven that they are of the highest quality around.

Veterans score Shootout Wins!

2010-02-12T22:02:00.002-05:00

Jim Foose (Camping World Truck Series) and Steve Buhala (TheCrewShirt.com Cup Series) picked up Shootout wins at Daytona, the product of eventful races with exciting finishes. Both drivers, veterans of various ASRS series, started the year off how they wanted to. For Foose, it was his third Shootout win in the trucks, while Buhala won the inaugural ASRS Shootout for TheCrewShirt.com Cup Series.

Changes in-store for ASRS

2010-01-20T22:21:00.001-05:00

(CLEVELAND, OH) Change is inevitable in today’s environment. Over the past year, many changes have come to the American Sim Racing Series, including the addition of the Cup Series, complete overhaul of the Truck Series and the recent changes to ASRS tracks. With over 40 drivers entered already, the ASRS 2010 Tour looks to be one of the strongest ever. The following is an overview of some recent changes that have been made:

Steve Buhala has been promoted to Vice President, replacing Eric Bannenberg. Bannenberg will remain a race day official. John Caddell has been appointed to Cup Series Director. The allowance of an additional team to each owner, has been dropped, team owners are permitted 2,3 or 4 cars regardless of full time or part time status, depending on the owner’s status.

The ASRS Cup Series will utilize the Bullring “SprintCup” mod at least through the North Wilkesboro race in April. The earliest a change to the new spoiler could be made will be Richmond in May. Both the “out of bounds” and “no bump-drafting in the turns” rules will remain in place for 2010, virtually untouched.

The ASRS Camping World Truck Series has seen many changes since leaving Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. Perhaps the biggest change is the addition of Double File Restarts “Shootout Style”. The body styles changed, the tracks changed and the addition of several new race teams. Auto Club Speedway and The Milwaukee Mile all fell off the schedule, replaced by Pocono Raceway and Darlington Raceway. The series will return to Darlington Raceway after a five year absence, the trucks last raced at Darlington in 2005.

The ASRS Outlaw Paintshop All American Series has seen minor changes since last November as well. The series sponsor, Outlaw Paintshop, announced plans to leave as title sponsor but a decision was reached in early January that continues a five year relationship as title sponsor of the Outlaw Paintshop All American Series. Taking a page from the former Late Model Sportsman Series, the All American Series will have the mandatory pit stop rule, in which at least two tires must be changed after lap 25. A 32 race schedule was released in November, but has seen many changes since the initial posting. Hickory Motor Speedway replaced the now closed Memphis Motorsports Park, Flat Rock Speedway in Michigan replaced Georgia’s Peach State Speedway and lastly Bowman-Gray Stadium took over the March 2nd date from Sandusky Speedway. The series will use the Late Model Project Version 2 mod for the entire spring season, before hopefully switching to the new version 3 mod for the fall, if version 3 is released in time for the Fall Championship Opener at Iowa Speedway.

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

ASRS Cup Series to Kick off with Shootout!

2010-01-10T15:19:00.001-05:00

The ASRS Cup Series season will kick off a week earlier than expected with the non-points ASRS Shootout event on Monday, February 8th at Daytona International Speedway. The ASRS Shootout will be filled with drivers who won ASRS sanctioned races in 2009 and former ASRS Champions. In all 21 drivers are eligible for the ASRS Shootout through that criteria, plus one lucky driver will be given a starting position in the Shootout by winning the Speedway Action Images Challenge, a 10 lap all out brawl just prior to the start of the ASRS Shootout. The Speedway Action Images Challenge is open to all 2010 ASRS members not already qualified for the ASRS Shootout.

The ASRS Shootout will be 30 laps (75 miles) and will utilize all ASRS Cup Series rules including Double File Restarts “Shootout Style”, caution credit rule, the yellow line rule and the no bump drafting in the turn rule.

2009 Race Winners:

Jim Foose
Eric Bannenberg
Jeff Lyden
Jake Morris
Jordan Morris
John Caddell
Andy Warren
Steve Buhala
Skip Honaker
Chris Nicastro
Justin McLeod
Dave Spotton
Walt Sova
Aaron Maynard
EJ McDonell
Johnnie Ada
JD Laird
Brad Wrenn

Former Champions (Must have competed in 2008 or 2009):

Craig Schmidt (2002)
Joe Sinclair (2004)
Louie Robinett (2006)

Drivers MUST gain approval prior to competing in the Shootout. Only 2010 ASRS members will be permitted to compete!

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

Outlaw Paintshop Extends Partnership with ASRS!

2010-01-02T00:19:00.001-05:00

(CLEVELAND, OH) Outlaw Paintshop has extended its title sponsorship of the ASRS Outlaw Paintshop All American Series through 2010. The 2010 season will mark the fifth year of Outlaw Paintshop’s title sponsorship of the ASRS Outlaw Paintshop All American Series, which began in 2006 as the ASRS Limited Late Model Series.

Both Outlaw Paintshop and the American Sim Racing Series have grown since partnering in 2006 and the ASRS Outlaw Paintshop All American Series has grown to be one of the most competitive short track sim racing divisions in the world. The 2010 ASRS Outlaw Paintshop All American Series includes 32 events, including the 13th Annual All American 400 at Nashville’s Music City Motorplex.

Outlaw Paintshop specializes in paint schemes, number design and logo creation form mild to wild made to your liking. It has become one of the most high profile painting websites on the internet since its creation.

“We are thrilled to have Outlaw Paintshop back as title sponsor of the ASRS Outlaw Paintshop All American Series, they are the only sponsor this series has ever seen and the level of support and commitment to our league is second to none” said ASRS President Jim Foose.

“Outlaw Paintshop is happy to announce its involvement once again with the American Sim Racing Series as returning division sponsor for its fifth year with the Outlaw Paintshop All American Series. We are glad to continue our relationship with the ASRS and look forward to the future with the best online racing series out there today” stated Outlaw Paintshop Owner Mike McClure.

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

Open Setups, Oh My!

2009-12-29T17:09:00.002-05:00

The announcement came earlier today, the ASRS Cup Series would be running open setups. That one announcement, sparks one of the greatest debates in sim racing, Open vs Fixed setups. It's a debate that at time is even more heated than the age old Ford vs. Chevy rivalry. After all the votes were counted, ASRS memberswho particpated in a poll regarding the topic voted to utilize fixed setups, but that poll just fueled the great debate and eventually ASRS Officials decided to give the Cup Series it's own identity. Without any further delay here is the announcement that was made this afternoon:

"The ASRS Cup Series will utilize open setups at all short track and intermediate track events. SuperSpeedways and Road Courses will utilize a fixed setup, to be determined by ASRS Officials. Fixed Setup Tracks: Daytona (SS) Talladega (SS) Road America (RC) Infineon (RC) Watkins Glen (RC) Montreal (RC) Seven of the 36 events will be contested using open setups, two at Daytona, and one at Talladega, Road America, Infineon, Watkins Glen and Montreal."

And with that, the Cup Series instantly was given it's own identity. Now, with a 36 race schedule ahead the drivers of the ASRS Cup Series can begin testing and planning for the 2010 season.

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

Trucks Racing into your Home!

2009-12-13T15:51:00.004-05:00

It's one of the best kept secrets in sim racing, the ASRS Camping World Truck Series provides more side by side racing action than one can handle. With the expansion in place for 2010, you can expect even more excitement, as new teams form and new drivers join the series. A quick look at the first stage of 2010 registrations:

New Teams:

Wes Johnston Racing:a brand new team that will field atleast one truck full time in 2010, with plans for a second if a driver comes along.
EPD Motorsports: another brand new team, this one will field two part time entries with a newcomer Kevin Pearson calling the shots.
Nascimento Motorsports: Rookie Colby Potts thros his hat in the ring as team owner of the #12 Chevrolet, which he plans to run all 25 races with.
Maynard Motorsports: Aaron Maynard joined the ranks of ASRS drivers a few weeks ago and became a team owner this past week with the announcement that he would form Maynard Motorsports and run the #46 truck in 2010.
Robert Panko Motorsports: While not a new team, the team will expand to two trucks in 2010 with Ford as the manufacturer.
High Performance Racing: Brad Wrenn has been a journeyman driver in the short track ranks at ASRS for a little over a year, but he steps up to the big show in 2010 with atleast a limited schedule behind the wheel of his Toyota.
Woodham Racing, Inc.: Josh Woodham, another driver who has competed in short track events at ASRS will step up for a part time run in 2010, that schedule could be adjusted to inclued the full 25 race run.
JK Racing: John Kenny formed his own team with plans to compete in all 25 events in 2010.

In all there are over twenty drivers committed to the 2010 ASRS Camping World Truck Series at this time, and there is still a long time before Daytona. With so many changes in store for 2010 and such a talented field, the truck series will be racing into your home in 2010 in style.

2010 Expansion Plans

2009-12-07T18:22:00.006-05:00

Beginning in 2010, ASRS will be hosting a Cup Series using a current style NASCAR vehicle mod. Already in two tests, the Cup Series has been given a vote of confidence by the drivers who attended. The new Cup Series represents a change in the philosophy of ASRS as the league grows and expands into places it has never been before.

A 36 race, 4 season schedule is planned with each of the four seasons hosting atleast one race each on a short track, superspeedway, road course and intermediate track. The schedule is comprised mostly of current cup tracks, with Nationwide and Truck tracks tossed in to add flavor. Additionally, a couple former cup series tracks, such as those in Rockingham and North Wilkesboro will fill the schedule. Road America will also be included in the schedule. 13 companion events with the ASRS Camping World Truck Series will be spread throughout the schedule.

2010 ASRS CUP SERIES SCHEDULE
Date Site
Feb. 7 Daytona International Speedway (ASRS Shootout At Daytona *)
SEASON 1:
Feb. 15 Daytona International Speedway #
Feb. 22 Auto Club Speedway
March 1 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
March 8 Atlanta Motor Speedway #
March 22 Bristol Motor Speedway (Day)
March 29 Martinsville Speedway #
April 12 Road America
April 19 Texas Motor Speedway
April 26 North Wilkesboro Speedway
SEASON 2:
May 3 Richmond International Raceway (Day)
May 8 Darlington Raceway
May 17 Dover International Speedway #
May 24 Lowe’s Motor Speedway #
June 7 Gateway International Raceway
June 14 Michigan International Speedway #
June 21 Infineon Raceway
June 28 Kentucky Speedway
July 5 Daytona International Speedway (Night)
SEASON 3:
July 12 Chicagoland Speedway
July 26 Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Aug. 2 Pocono Raceway #
Aug. 9 Watkins Glen International
Aug. 16 Texas World Speedway
Aug. 23 Bristol Motor Speedway (Night) #
Aug. 29 O'Reilly Raceway Park
Sept. 13 Richmond International Raceway (Night)
Sept.20 New Hampshire Motor Speedway #
SEASON 4:
Sept. 27 Iowa Speedway (Night)
Oct. 4 Kansas Speedway
Oct. 11 Nashville Superspeedway
Oct. 18 Rockingham Speedway
Oct. 25 Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Nov. 1 Talladega Superspeedway #
Nov. 8 Mansfield Motorsports Park #
Nov. 15 Phoenix International Raceway (Day) #
Nov. 22 Homestead-Miami Speedway #

* – Denotes non-point event.
# - Denotes companion event with truck series.

"These changes in addition to the revamped truck series, we feel will be great for the ASRS and our drivers. The changes made should attract new drivers and continue to grow relationships with our current members" said ASRS President, Jim Foose.

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

ASRS All American Series Headed to New Places in 2010!

2009-11-17T00:28:00.002-05:00

Written by Jim Foose
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
(ROCKINGHAM, NC) With the 2009 ASRS Outlaw Paintshop All American Series season drawing to a close tonight at Rockingham Speedway, the much anticipated 2010 schedule has been released. The series will travel to new venues in 2010, as well as many traditional tracks. Among the new tracks for 2010 are Berlin Raceway, North Wilkesboro Speedway and Pikes Peak International Raceway. In addtiion a new series logo was unveiled. The status of Outlaw Paintshop as title sposnor fo the series is unknown at this time. The 2010 season opens again at New Smyrna Speedway in February, and much like 2009 will contest two seasons, spring and fall, with a break in the summer. Among tracks which may be added to the schedule are Thunder Road Raceway, Autodrome Chaudière, Irwindale Speedway and Southern National Raceway Park. The schedules are tentative and subject to change. 2010 Spring Season Schedule: Date Track 02/09/2010 New Smyrna Speedway 02/16/2010 Myrtle Beach Speedway 02/23/2010 I-70 Speedway 03/02/2010 Sandusky Speedway 03/09/2010 Berlin Raceway 03/16/2010 Jennerstown Speedway 03/23/2010 Stafford Motor Speedway 03/30/2010 Madison Int'l Speedway 04/06/2010 Montgomery Motor Speedway 04/13/2010 South Alabama Speedway 04/20/2010 Rockford Speedway 04/27/2010 Toledo Speedway 05/04/2010 Motor Mile Speedway 05/11/2010 Mansfield Motorsports Park 05/18/2010 Pikes Peak International Raceway 05/25/2010 Huntsville Speedway 2010 Fall Season Schedule: Date Track 08/03/2010 Iowa Speedway 08/10/2010 Five Flags Speedway 08/17/2010 Ace Speedway 08/24/2010 North Wilkesboro Speedway 08/31/2010 Riverside Speedway 09/07/2010 South Boston Speedway 09/14/2010 Lee USA Speedway 09/21/2010 Star Speedway 09/28/2010 Peach State Speedway 10/05/2010 Memphis Motorsports Park 10/12/2010 Rockford Speedway 10/19/2010 Toledo Speedway 10/26/2010 Mansfield Motorsports Park 11/02/2010 Sandusky Speedway 11/09/2010 Music City Motorplex (13th Annual All American 400 - non points) 11/16/2010 Rockingham Motor Speedway The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

Honaker Doubles Down at 12th Annual All American 400

2009-11-17T00:28:00.001-05:00

Written by Jim Foose

Sunday, 15 November 2009

(NASHVILLE, TN) The All American 400 has become a sim racing tradition, beginning in 1998 with the Inaugural All American 100. Since that beginning 12 years ago, the All American 400 has grown to be one of the most prestigious online races today, not to mention that it is the longest continuously running online short track race around. Every year a strong group of short track sim racers take on the tough 5/8 mile Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

Jake Morris started the Outlaw Paintshop All American Series 200 off right by taking fast time in qualifying. For a good portion of the race, 121 laps to be exact, it appeared that Morris was on his way to victory, but contact with Justin McLeod all but ended those chances. Five drivers took turns leading the All American 400 including 2009 ASRS Outlaw Paintshop All American Series Champion Jim Foose, Don Colbath, defending winner of the Outlaw Paintshop All American Series 200, Mike Husby and last but not least, Skip Honaker who took home the checkered flag after 200 laps. A green white checkered finish saw Honaker hold off Don Colbath, III, Jim Foose, Louie Robinett and Mike Husby, who rounded out the top 5. It was Honaker’s first win in the All American 400.

Don Colbath, III led the field to the green flag for the Super Late Model 200 with Skip Honaker alongside. Honaker charged into the lead in his Dodge Charger. Honaker was challenged early by Jim Foose, who took the lead for one lap before Honaker charged by. Four others exchanged the lead, which MT Johnson, Matty Degrieck, Justin McLeod and Honaker’s closest competition late in the going, Johnathon Caddell. Colbath retired to the garage after 107 laps with damage and set up a battle between Honaker, Caddell and Foose who made up the top three for the majority of the race. Honaker made the pass for the lead on Caddell and never looked back. Honaker would complete the sweep, winning both segments of the 12th Annual All American 400. Caddell was second, followed by Doug Forgue, Justin McLeod and Al Hixson who rounded out the top 5 as the race ended under caution for a spinning Jim Foose.

ASRS heads into Championship Week with events at Rockingham Speedway and Homestead Miami Speedway this coming week. The fourth annual Snowball Derby is next on the agenda for the ASRS Special Events season, Saturday, December 12th. The 300 lap race at the famed Five Flags Speedway has grown to become another of the most prestigious sim races around. Registration is ongoing on the ASRS website, www.americansimracing.com. Beginning December 3rd, ASRS will begin hosting the Try B4U Buy Series of three events utilizing three different divisions for free!

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

All American Series Race Results

Super Late Model Race Results

Photo Gallery

Championship Battle Heats up in Truck Series

2009-10-18T20:59:00.002-04:00

As the 2009 season winds down for the ASRS Camping World Truck Series, two drivers have emerged as solid championship contenders with a third waiting in the wings for someone to make a mistake and give him the chance at the top prize.

With five races to go, 3 time defending series champion Jim Foose leads Eric Bannenberg by 2 points, while Bannenberg's teammate resides third just 52 markers out of the lead. The tale to be told is of three different seasons.

Jim Foose, currently sits on top with four race wins including the season opener at Daytona.

Eric Bannenberg, currently 2nd, just two markers behind has two wins including the dominating run at Kansas Speedway.

Steve Buhala, 3rd with no wins in his truck career has had a rollercoaster ride in 2009 as he has struggled at times and at others been a force on the racetrack.

Of these three, Foose has the best odds of being the last man standing, as he has won the three previous championships, and has won at the next three venues on the schedule (Music City, Talladega and Mansfield).

But at the last event, which Foose and Bannenberg were the two most recent winners at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, none of the top four drivers finished the race. Two similar incidents in the tri-oval eliminated all of them as they raced towards the championship.

Bannenberg has momentum on his side as he has taken 23 points out of Foose's lead in the two most recent events, at Las Vegas and New Hampshire Motor Speedway and is the defending winner at Mansfield Motorsports Park.

Buhala could come out of this whole thing as the spoiler as he could score his first ASRS Camping World Truck Series win and take home a championship through the final five events.

With the series heading to Music City Motorplex, one of the smaller venues on the 2009 schedule, the action is sure to be close and fenders will definetely be rubbing as the trucks battle on the tight high banked 5/8 mile track.

Big things ahead for Truck Series in 2010!

2009-09-15T15:45:00.005-04:00

The ASRS Camping World Truck Series is just seven races away from crowning the 2009 champion. But already the focus is on 2010 and the changes that the season will be bringing to the division.

The most noticeable of the changes will be the new bodies, as the series switches to the NCTS09 mod from Team Om3ga. That change will change the image of the series entirely as the trucks take on a brand new look. The NCTS09 mod is also heavily support by the community with sites like Elite Paint Designs (http://www.elitepaintdesigns.com)working on entire carsets of the real NASCAR trucks of the mod.

The second change for 2010 is the addition of Pocono Raceway, the tricky 2.5 mile triangle nestled in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Pocono offers a change of scenery as the series heads away from the Auto Club Speedway in California and the glitz and glamor of California for the quiet mountain town of Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

In the words of the late Billy Mays; "And that's not all". Along with the updated body styles and the addition of Pocono, many of the tracks on the schedule will be getting a facelift. With quality sites like Revamped Reloaded and Safer Barrier Project, the tracks are nearly all updated. With the recent release of a Memphis update as well as updates to Milwaukee, Nashville Super Speedway and O'Reilly Raceway Park, by BurninAsphalt.com and 3MN5 (http://www.freewebs.com/trackdownloads) and Kentucky, Iowa and Gateway on the way every track on the schedule should be updated to the most recent standards, both graphically and physically.

The 2010 season already looks as if it will be an exciting season of racing, with many changes on the horizon before the season takes the first green flag.

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

ASRS Grand National Drivers Prepare to hit the Road!

2009-08-28T21:32:00.003-04:00

(CLEVELAND, OH) The ASRS Grand National Series drivers are preparing to turn left and right for the first time ever. The series heads to the road course in Watkins Glen, New York for the first time Monday, August 31.

The trip to Watkins Glen will not be the first time an ASRS series has raced at the tricky 2.45 mile, 11 turn course. In 2008, the ASRS National Series competed at Watkins Glen with ORP Grand National Series winner Jake Morris taking that victory. The National Series had previously hosted a road race at Lime Rock Park in 2007 where Jeff Bye, Jr. picked up the win, and even further back in the history books, the ASRS Canadian Challenge Series raced at Mosport in 2005, where Eric Bannenberg was the winner.

This time around, the field is filled with top notch competition and solid road racers as well as oval track racers.

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

Grand National Drivers hit the track for first time

2009-08-10T22:59:00.003-04:00

The drivers of the ASRS Grand National Series hit the track for the very first time as an open test at four of the series tracks, O'Reilly Raceway Park, Watkins Glen International Raceway, Chicagoland Speedway, and Memphis Motorsports Park. For many, it was the first look at the new paint schemes and car styles that make up the Grand National Series for 2009.

Drivers in attendance were:

Marc Meyers, #04 Chevrolet
Skip Honaker, #2 Dodge
Steve Buhala, #10 Dodge
Johnnie Ada, #33 Chevrolet
Jeff Lyden, #39 Chevrolet
Dave Spotton, #41 Toyota
Jim Foose, #42 Chevrolet
Wes Johnston, #51 Chevrolet
Craig Schmidt, #85 Toyota
Nicholas Teto, #134 Toyota

Each driver took to the tracks, and the general consensus was the series headed in the right direction and is ready for action next Monday. The biggest complaint was the lack of power at Chicagoland Speedway, which featured racing with less horsepower as a result of the tapered spacer.

Following the one hour test, drivers tested Pikes Peak International Raceway and agreed the track is ready to host an event as soon as the Winter season. Many drivers suggested adding a date at Pikes Peak into the upcoming season.

A solid test this week, points to good things to come for the ASRS Grand National Series. Jim Foose, the ASRS President had the following to say after the test, "I am very excited about this new series and the potential that it has shown, I think that a good field of 16-20 drivers for the opener is quite reasonable".

Grand National Opener August 17th!

2009-08-09T17:33:00.002-04:00

Already a solid field has filed entries for the ASRS Grand National Series and with the inaugural season opener just a week away, business is picking up for the series which was announced on July 27th.

With several new team owners and drivers flocking to the ASRS to join the Grand National Series and an aggressive 13 race schedule, featuring 7 short tracks, 4 intermediate tracks, 1 super speedway and 1 road course, the series is sure to be exciting and competitive.

"When forming this series and building the plans for it, we felt that we needed something that offered a bridge between our famed short track divisions and the truck series. What we also wanted was something that would offer a little different taste, and that's where the road course came in." said Jim Foose.

The ASRS Grand National Series kicks off August 17th at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis.

All American Series Opens with a Bang!

2009-08-07T13:35:00.002-04:00

After over two months off, the ASRS Outlaw Paintshop All American Series finally hit the track for the 2009 Fall season. Building upon a successful Spring season, the All American Series saw one of the most competitive and action packed races in it's 119 events held to date. The Iowa 100 rolled off with 13 cars taking the green flag, after four drivers suffered mechanical failures in practice.

To start things off, the pole winner, Skip Honaker, did not lead the first lap. Jordan Morris, the second place starter led the first handful of laps before waivering to Honaker who then set sail. The race saw green flag pit stops between lap 30 and 45, for tires. When the race's only caution flag flew on lap 66, the drivers were beginning to head to pit road for tires again. And as the race ran to the finish, the tires were giving up as the field took the checkered flag.

In all, four drivers led the event, which features four lead changes over 100 laps. At the end, just three drivers remained on the lead lap a result of the green flag pit stops. It was quite a start to a series that heads to O'Reilly Raceway Park Tuesday for the second event of the season.

Grand National Series Nears at ASRS

2009-08-04T00:24:00.001-04:00

The ASRS Grand National Series Premier is just around the corner, with the first race scheduled to roll off Monday, August 17 at O’Reilly Raceway Park. A thirteen race schedule is in place featuring seven short tracks, four intermediate tracks, one super speedway and one road course. The Grand National Series looks to bring more talent to ASRS while building on the already strong base of drivers. “With the style of cars we are using and the tracks we will be racing on, I feel this series is a winner for us” said ASRS President, Jim Foose. “The Grand National Series will bridge the gap between the All American Series and the Truck Series as we look to strengthen our entire program for 2010 and beyond”.

Many new drivers and teams have filed entries to participate in the ASRS Grand National Series. Of those new drivers, some old faces are in new places. Such is the case with the newly founded Owens-Monahan Racing team, featuring Chris Owens and Clint Monahan. Additionally Robert Panko Motorsports has joined the Grand National Series with drivers Robert Panko and Chaz Teets, both drivers are brand new to ASRS. Many more drivers have stepped up their programs with plans to run the entire 13 race schedule that makes up the 2009 ASRS Grand National Series.

The roots of the ASRS Grand National Series run deep, with plans to build a series similar to the current Grand National Series dating back to 2005. In 2007, the ASRS East Series was formed and renamed the BozPC National Series in 2008 as the series expanded beyond the geographical limitations of the east coast. However, the National Series was discontinued at the end of 2008 and the gap between the Camping World Truck Series and the Outlaw Paintshop All American Series was created. With the aggressive 13 race schedule, contested on seven short tracks, four speedways, one super speedway and one road course the ASRS Grand National Series has officially bridged that gap and offers something that neither the East Series nor the National Series could, a chance to race on the tracks of the Truck Series without the restrictions on drivers.

The ASRS Grand National Series kicks off Monday, August 17th at O’Reilly Raceway Park.

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

Grand National Series Coming to ASRS August 17th!

2009-08-04T00:15:00.000-04:00

On Monday, August 17, the American Sim Racing Series Grand National Series will roar to life at the O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis. The 125 lap event will not only mark the start of the new ASRS Grand National Series, but also the start of a new era at ASRS. The Grand National Series will race on Monday evenings, and will serve as a great series with a diverse mix of race tracks and drivers and a great development series for drivers wishing to move onto the ASRS Camping World Truck Series.

The inaugural Grand National Series schedule features races at seven short tracks, four intermediate tracks, one road course and one super speedway. “We feel that Monday nights are an untapped resource here at ASRS” stated ASRS President, Jim Foose. “Running sometimes three consecutive nights a week (referring to the former schedule of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night racing) wears on everyone and gets old very quickly. We wanted a series that would fit between the trucks and the All American series, so that we could realistically take drivers from the All American cars and put them on the bigger tracks that the trucks go to and see how they do. I feel that this series offers just that, and with the road course thrown in, it should attract its own crowd as well.”

“A couple weeks ago, we made an announcement about the DirtCar Series and I didn’t feel that we had the necessary support for that series to go on as planned. It can be hard to judge from a test session, but the attendance at the test session was terrible. Realistically it takes about 12-16 drivers to get a division going here and it had eight at best. For that, I am sorry that we could not run the DirtCar Series and hope that everyone will atleast take a look at what the ASRS Grand National Series has to offer”

“ASRS is an excellent place to race, and great fun for all. We encourage everyone to check it out and give us a try, we are here to have fun and feel that the product we offer is fun and entertaining”. Foose continued.

The inaugural ASRS Grand National Series will race thirteen times, at many of America’s finest racetracks. In addition to the series opener at O’Reilly Raceway Park, the series will travel to Iowa Speedway, Watkins Glen International Raceway, Chicagoland Speedway, Memphis Motorsports Park, Rockingham Speedway, South Boston Speedway, Talladega SuperSpeedway, Mansfield Motorsports Park, Kentucky Speedway, Music City Motorplex, Kansas Speedway, and Richmond International Raceway. The ASRS Grand National Series Champion will be crowned November 16 at Richmond International Raceway. Races will generally be 100 laps or 100 miles. O’Reilly Raceway Park and Memphis Motorsports Park will host 125 lap events, while Music City Motorplex will feature a 150 lap event.

The series will also feature Race Points Manager’s Virtual Money System, which allows team owners to control a virtual bank account to keep their raceteam afloat. Each race has a set purse and each driver making it into the race will be rewarded with a set virtual dollar amount in winnings. The system was put in place in the Camping World Truck Series earlier this year and has been very successful in that series.

For just a $5 annual registration fee, you could enjoy the fun of the ASRS Camping World Truck Series, Outlaw Paintshop All American Series, and the Grand National Series. The American Sim Racing Series has been running since 2002 and provides fun, fair and friendly racing for all!

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

Trucks keep on Truckin'

2009-02-22T13:03:00.003-05:00

After a wild and crazy finish to the NextERA Energy Resources 125 at Daytona, the ASRS Camping World Trucks packed up and headed west to the Auto Club Speedway. While the 2009 season is one of change for the Truck racers, a new title sponsor, two new venues on the schedule, and a brand new Virtual Money System have all marked differences from last season. Perhaps the biggest change is the diversity among manufacturers, there are now nearlyas many Toyota teams as there are Chevrolet teams in a series that was prodominately Chevrolet since its inception in 2005. New faces mark the landscape of the Truck Series, drivers like Justin McLeod, Jeff Lyden, Timmy Johnston, Mike McClure and Bud Watson are among drivers with plans to run the full schedule of 25 races.

With all the change surrounding the Trucks, one thing has remained consistent. The two drivers who over the offseason were thought to be favorites to win the title are at the top of the standings after Auto Club. Both Jim Foose, the 2006, 2007, and 2008 Camping World Truck Champion and Jake Morris have scored wins in 2009. Foose at Daytona, Morris at Auto Club. Morris leads Foose by 15 points following his win at Auto Club.

With the addition of the Virtual Money System in 2009, several changes have occured and those changes have been good for the overall health of the series. First, it has ensured commitment to the Truck Series by the team owners through the registration process. While the registration can be tedious, it ensures everyone is fully committed to the series. Second, the Virtual Money System has made the racing more exciting, since the payoff falls off after the top 10. Driver finishing 12th and beyond at Auto Club actually lost money in their team accounts. This works to ensure no drivers are entering races with the intention of parking shortly after the green flag and pocketing a large sum of virtual money. Instead, drivers must race for every position and every dollar they can earn at each race. It also promotes patience, as a bad finish can result in a loss of position and money paid for that position. Lastly, the Virtual Money System adds Owner Standings and Manufacturer Championship Standings to the fold, giving drivers more to aim for than just a driving championship. All of this has closed the gap in the field and brought tougher competition to the racetrack each time the trucks hit the track.

Next the Truck Series heads to Atlanta for the first of two Tuesday night specials in 2009. Altanta is a track known for exciting racing and close finishes as the trucks jockey for position around the 1.54 mile quad oval.

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

Preseason Testing Underway!

2009-01-15T18:07:00.003-05:00

Preseason Testing has officially kicked off and if the tests are any indication the 2009 season looks to be one close competition and great racing. Steve Buhala topped the speed charts in his BBC Racing Dodge with a lap time of 46.321. That wasn't the only surprise of the 45 minute session as 3 time defending Camping World Truck Series Champion Jim Foose brought out an unmarked #33 truck and clocked in with the second fastest lap of the session. Next week the Camping World Trucks host two sessions, Monday at Chicagoland Speedway and Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway.

2009 Opens in style!

2009-01-07T13:34:00.002-05:00

The ASRS Outlaw Paintshop All American Series hit the track for the first time in 2009 and put on an action packed event. On a brand new track for the first time the drivers made it look natural as they raced side by side and battled door to door. For one driver it meant sweet victory, while for others it ended in excitement. After batteling nearly the entire race, Jim Foose gave Jake Morris a slight nudge with seven laps to go and went on to score the first win of 2009. Morris dropped to third after contact with Nicholas Teto resulted in a spin on the final lap, allowing Steve Buhala to drive by for 2nd place. When the record books reflect on the MW Racecars 100 at Sandusky Speedway, it will show six lead changes among four drivers, four cautions and race winner Jim Foose led all but 23 laps en route to victory, what it won't show is the side by side action that took place nearly the entire race for every position.

With just two races remaining in the ASRS Outlaw Paintshop All American Series Winter Heat season, the points battle is heating up, with Foose gaining 20 points on Justin McLeod for a 35 point lead.

If the action at Sandusky is any indicator of how the 2009 season will be, you won't want to miss it. Side by side, excitment filled racing is what ASRS is all about. With only four cautions slowing the field during the MW Racecars 100, ASRS is the cure for the common league. Come check it out! www.americansimracing.com

2008-12-29T13:01:00.002-05:00

In a few days we will flip our calendars from 2008 to 2009. The change from 2008 to 2009 is more than just flipping pages on a calendar for the American Sim Racing Series, it is about a brand new year and another great season.

Over the past two weeks, the American Sim Racing Series has made several changes. The new class of Championship Committee members has been selected and each has a different background and story of how they made it to ASRS. These individuals as a group will have the responsibility of reviewing penalties and incidents on the racetrack and thus will provide a level playing field for everyone here at ASRS.

New for 2009 is the "Realignment" of divisions. The National Series and Modified Series have been dropped in favor of the Late Model Sportsman Series, which will focus solely on short tracks. The Outlaw Paintshop All American Series will see a bit of an elevation in 2009 as it travels to a few slightly larger facilities and changes from three season per year to only two. The Camping World Truck Series will also see a change, as a result of a late event change, Iowa Speedway has gained the truck series, while South Boston has lost the series after three years on schedule. Iowa will become the second event in the Chase for the Championship, after the inaugural event at Chicagoland Speedway. Meanwhile, Mansfield will replace South Boston as the 23rd event on schedule, and 8th in the Chase for the Championship, after occupying a May date since 2005.

A few brand new special events will be run in 2009 in addition to the 12th Annual All American 400 in Novemeber and the 4th Annual Snowball Derby in December. While details will be forthcoming, these events will be "can't miss" races.

Everyone at ASRS is excited about what 2009 holds. The Late Model Sportsman Series has gained attention across the sim racing community and a whole new crop of rookies will take to the track in 2009. With everything going on, ASRS is the place to be in 2009. So stop by and give us a try.

Late Model Sportsman Storm into ASRS!

2008-12-29T12:53:00.002-05:00

The 2009 ASRS Late Model Sportsman Series schedule has been released. The schedule includes two-nine race seasons. Among the 18 host tracks, many have previously hosted ASRS events, including trips to Stockton 99 Speedway, which hosted its most recent ASRS event in 2006; Colorado National Speedway, which has not held an event since 2007 and New York's Spencer Speedway, which has not hosted an ASRS division since 2005. In addition, two tracks are scheduled to host their first ASRS event in 2009 as part of the Late Model Sportsman Series, Wisconsin's Lacrosse Speedway and Southern National Raceway Park in North Carolina.

"The really neat thing about this series is that we have limited it to the short tracks, we won't take it to any track over 3/4 mile in length, and realistically my goal it keep the tracks under 5/8 mile." ASRS President Jim Foose said. "I think this is a good thing that we are going to with this series and I hope that everyone has a good time in this series. We are happy to be able to return to many of the tracks that built the foundation of this league and what we have become today."

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

ARCA Sim Racing, the future of ASRS?

2008-11-29T13:09:00.005-05:00

Earlier this year, The Sim Factory released it's ARCA Sim Racing title. The title was called "The Most Realistic Stock Car Sim To Date" by Sim Racing Tonight, a sim racing based webcast show. Even the sim's package touts it as "as real as it gets". When it first came out the track selection was very limited. But as the year has gone on, The Sim Factory has released numerous patches that have included more tracks and seemingly have increased the following of the title.

At first glance one would be in awe over the mass selection of cars, but would lose that feeling when they saw the limited selection of tracks. However, each track is highly detailed and nearly an exact replica of it's real life counterpart. The cars are even more impressive with the bodies and paint schemes life-like. The net code is the greatest ever offered and the physics surpass many other sims offered.

Just recently ARCA's home track, Toledo Speedway, was released by The Sim Factory. The track has become a popular stop on the ARCA schedule and packs in many fans for it's weekly offering of Late Models, Stock Cars and Figure 8. The Sim Factory's version is so close to it's real world couterpart that you have to scrape the wall just to make sure you are still driving a simulation. Toledo has changed many people's outlooks on ARCA Sim Racing and The Sim Factory and has brought the fun level of ARCA Sim Racing to a new high.

So, what does this have to do with ASRS? Well, you will be the first to know. The plan is to begin testing ARCA Sim Racing online with our league sometime early in 2009 with plans to move to the sim sometime around the midpoint of 2009. What we will look for during testing is the little details that will make it even more life-like for ASRS and we will also be learning the interface and options available to league adminstrators within ARCA Sim Racing. Our plan is to allow a few more tracks to be released before fully commiting to running a divison, but we fully expect The Sim Factory to have most of the tracks for 2009 out by the season's midpoint. We will start out on short tracks and slowly work our way up to the superspeedways. Eventually running a full ARCA season here at ASRS.

We encourage everyone to give ARCA Sim Racing a try and give The Sim Factory a chance to improve on it's maiden voyage into racing simulations. It will only get better! Despite some early issues, The Sim Factory has acted quickly and addressed many concerns from the sim racing community and along the way has improved ARCA Sim Racing greatly. You can pick up a copy of ARCA Sim Racing at http://www.arcasimracing.com

A look towards 2009

2008-11-20T21:56:00.004-05:00

With the 2008 season just about behind us, the time is now to move on to 2009. The ASRS Officials are busying working on many things we hope will not only attract more drivers, but also imprive competition throughout the league. Among some things to be addressed this winter:

1) Regaining the loyalty of our longtime members and ensuring lengthy stays at ASRS. Not only are we going back to our roots, we are also looking at ways to build stronger, longer lasting friendships with all of the drivers here.

2) Improving championship battles, which will include a rules change in the Camping World Truck Series that will allow drivers to miss two races before being excluded from the Chase for the Championship. (The current rule allows one missed race before a driver is excluded from the championship chase).

3) Working partnerships with other leagues, whether it be through a strategic merger or just a strategic alliance. Our goal is to not only strengthen our league, but also the online short track racing community. We are in the process of debuting an "Official Partner" program that will allow supporting sites to display the ASRS logo and show their support of the league. The Official Partner program will also allow ASRS to be seen in more places by more drivers.

4) Addition of select "just for fun" events, such as a Crash O Rama and a Street Stock World National event throughout the season. These events will allow some drivers to test drive ASRS and enjoy a night of fun simulated stock car racing.

5) A few tweaks to the rulebook will be made over the offseason, allowing closer competition and higher quality racing while opening the door to even more drivers. The changes will be mostly minor updates.

6) There is talk of charging a "team ownership fee" in 2008 instead of a General Membership fee per driver. Anyone wishing to own a team within ASRS will have to have a "Team Owner's license" that will be sold at the beginning to the year. Under the proposed program, teams will be strictly limited to four teams. The license is expected to cost $10 if the proposed rule is put in place for 2009. But, nothing has been decided on in regards to that proposal.

7) Work is ongoing with the "Realignment 2009 and beyond" plan, while it appears we will continue to utilize NASCAR Racing 2003 Season by Papyrus, there is an outside chance we may switch to ARCA Sim Racing by The Sim Factory at some point in 2009. Again, plans are unclear at this time and no final decision has been reached regarding ARCA Sim Racing or rFactor. We have been very impressed by the ARCA Sim Racing sim and the quality of support the folks at The Sim Factory have given everyone in that community. With more and more tracks coming out and updates being released frequently, ARCA Sim Racing could hold the keys to the future of ASRS.

On behalf of everyone at ASRS, I want to say thank you for your support in 2008, I hope you will continue to support us through the Winter Heat program and the 3rd Annual Snowball Derby. I hope to see each and every one of you again in 2009. I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday season. If over the winter you come up with a suggestion or have a comment or a concern I urge you to email me at jim@americansimracing.com and I will be glad to take a look at what you would like to discuss.

Best Regards,

Jim Foose
President & General Manager
American Sim Racing Series
http://www.americansimracing.com
Email: racerfoose42@cox.net
AOL IM: FOOSERACING42

2008 Season winds down

2008-11-20T14:14:00.005-05:00

It's November and the temperatures are dropping nationwide, snow is falling in some places and people are hurrying out to get the latest and greatest gift for the holidays. November also marks the official end of the 2008 season for the American Sim Racing Series.

With the ASRS Craftsman Truck Series 2008 season in the books, and the 100th ASRS Craftsman Truck Series event, also the final race run under the Craftsman banner comes the long, cold winter months. But that will not be the case this winter, with ASRS Winter Heat warming up your competitiveness and keeping the racing going year-round.

Before we close the chapter on 2008, lets take a look back at the season that was:

Craftsman Truck Series:
38 drivers scored points over the 25 race schedule. 13 drivers scored a win in the ultra-competitive series that prides itself on Tough Trucks, Tough Racing. The season also marked the first time that a driver has won back to back to back to back championships in the American Sim Racing Series. Although the season had its rough spots, 2009 looks to have a great field of trucks competing for the championship.

BozPC National Series:
23 drivers scored points over the 8 race schedule. 5 made it to Victory Lane. The series was dropped from the American Sim Racing Series lineup for 2009 after a dismal year in 2008. The 2009 schedule had called for a more "premier" type schedule dominated by intermediate tracks. Unless something changes for the good, that will not happen in 2009.

Modified Series:
28 drivers made races, but only 6 reached victory lane. The Modified Series had a transition year, as it was dropped from the lineup early in the year, only to be brought back. The experiment appeared to be working successfully early on, but interest and support fell off and before the season concluded, it was announced the modifieds would not be back in 2009.

Outlaw Paintshop All American Series:
The Outlaw Paintshop All American Series saw some of the most competitive fields in online short track racing. Each season presented it own challenges to the drivers as nobody knew what to expect around the next turn. The season finale at Rockingham Speedway showcased the drivers on the largest track the series has ever competed on, and the race was exciting and had its own suspense all the way to the checkered flag. The Outlaw Paintshop All American Series is on the slate for 2009, and some changes have been considered, but it appears the series will return with a similar gameplan in 2009. It was also announced that the Outlaw Paintshop All American Series will take part in the Winter Heat program this winter, that will take the green flag Tuesday, November 25th.

2009 holds alot of promise and looks to be an exciting year for ASRS. We appreciate your support through 2008 and hope you will continue to call ASRS your home. We will have many exciting announcements this winter and really hope you will join us for Winter Heat and theupcoming 3rd Annual Snowball Derby.

Continuing the Turnaround!

2008-10-10T16:31:00.003-04:00

For the ASRS, the 2008 season has been one of missed opportunities, but nonetheless ASRS is continuing to move forward and once again is showing the strength necessary to succeed in the sim racing world. Although car counts are slightly lower than a year ago, the racing is more competitve than ever and the quality of racing has exceeded many expectations. ASRS President Jim Foose reflects on the season and the looks to the future:

"It has not been the easiest season for us as a league, there were numerous times I thought about shutting the doors and calling it quits. But, I continued on and belive we are turning things around with our program. The elements are there to have excellent events, we just need to improve our car counts." "2009 is going to be a different ballgame, we feel the time might be here to look at other sims to utilize for the future, but also feel the flip side of that when drivers don't want to learn a new sim or build all new setups. It is a balancing act for me to make a decision on where I want to be next year and where our league should be. It definetely is coming though."

Whatever 2009 has in store for ASRS, it will be done with the same passion and professionalism as years past.

11th Annual All American 400 around the corner!

2008-10-10T16:29:00.001-04:00

The 11th Annual All American 400 has begun registering drivers to compete in the event. This will mark the 4th event hosted and sanctioned by the American Sim Racing Series (ASRS), who took the event over in 2005 from the former USA Series. The eventful All American Speedweek kicks off with the ASRS Modified Series 100 lapper on Wednesday, November 5th and continues on Saturday, November 8th with the All American 400. The event will be split into 2- 200 lap events, one featuring the ASRS Outlaw Paintshop All American Series and the other featuring the ASRS Outlaw Late Model Series. In 2006, over 80 drivers signed up for the event with 53 officially making an attempt at starting the event.

Registration is free for current ASRS members, and just $5 for non-ASRS members. The winner will receive a trophy.

Lap Sponsorships are available for both races, $1 a lap and $10 for Laps 100 & 200 in each race.

It proves to be the biggest online short track race of the year, and is rich with tradition. Check out http://www.americansimracing.com for more information.

Event Information: http://asrs.bozpc.com/2008AA400.pdf
Entry Form/ Entry List: http://z8.invisionfree.com/ASRS/index.p ... topic=2216
Lap Sponsors: http://asrs.bozpc.com/2008_aa400_laps.htm

Don't forget the 3rd Annual Snowball Derby will take place December 13th!

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit http://www.americansimracing.com.

Exciting Race Ends with Close Finish @ Talladega

2008-10-03T20:57:00.005-04:00

(Talladega, AL) For the third time, the ASRS Craftsman Truck Series headed to Talladega Superspeedway for the Mountain Dew 125. The level of excitement and action was higher than ever as the top 4 in points were separated by just 63 points.

EJ McDonell got the event started off in the right direction by winning the Speedway Action Pole Award. McDonell was joined by Johnathon Caddell on the front row. McDonell would lead the first lap, but by the time the pack of trucks completed lap 2 it was points leader, Jim Foose leading the field. The first caution flew on lap 9 for a multi truck crash involving 2nd place in points Eric Bannenberg, and fellow EB Racing teammates Steve Buhala and Caddell after contact between Buhala and Kevin Chance triggered the crash. Bannenberg continued on but limped to the finish, Buhala was eliminated completely and Caddell continued on with minimal damage. Eric Bannenberg limped around to lead a lap before handing the lead over to Jake Morris, who assumed the lead on the round of pit stops that occurred under the caution flag. The race took on a clean and green look for the next 15 laps before the competition caution flew to allow all drivers to finish the race without having to make another stop for fuel. Following the restart, Jake Morris once again led after remaining on the track under the competition caution. The JF2 Racing teammates of Wes Johnston and EJ McDonell made their way to the front, while Jim Foose, Johnathon Caddell and Kevin Chance battled behind the leaders for several laps. The first driver to make a move at the lead was Chance, followed by Foose, who with the help of Johnston passed Jake Morris for the lead. EJ McDonell had a mechanical failure and dropped out of the event on lap 30. Chance, Johnston and the Morris brothers made a move to pass Foose for the lead and sent Foose back to 4th, but Foose and Caddell once again hooked up and drafted by and back into the lead. With a handful of laps remaining Jordan Morris made contact with Jake Morris, sending Jake through the grass to avoid an incident. Kevin Chance bumped the #26 of Caddell on lap 44 and sent Caddell to the apron, Caddell continued but made contact with Chance as he regained control of his Dodge and sent Chance flying into the inside wall, ending Chance’s night. No caution flew and it was smooth sailing as the top 2 drivers, Foose and Jordan Morris pulled away from the remaining trucks. Morris would try high and low, but never could get around Foose for the lead as Jim Foose cruised to his fourth victory of 2008 by just .050 seconds and extended his points lead from 21 to 65 points over Eric Bannenberg. Jordan Morris was a close 2nd followed by Johnston, Caddell and Jake Morris in 5th.

Trucks Continue to Impress!

2008-09-07T23:10:00.003-04:00

After 17 races this season, the ASRS Craftsman Truck Series has seen many highs and lows, but the Camping World 100 at Gateway International Raceway was a high. After a long drought, Andy Warren returned to the Winner's Circle for the first time since Atlanta in October of 2006, bringing a Toyota Tundra with him. It was only the 2nd time a Toyota had reached Victory Lane, and the first since Josh Berry took his #91 Toyota to victory at Auto Club Speedway California in February 2007. Toyota also won the pole and occupied the front row for the 60 lap event.

In fact it was an interesting route Warren took this season, after leaving the ASRS in May, Warren returned to action at Bristol Motor Speedway. Warren was running 2nd with a handful of laps remaining at Bristol when he lost control of his #6 Toyota, and losing several positions.

While the championship "chasers" did not have a very good showing as a whole, Eric Bannenberg was the shining star of that group with his 2nd place finish. Chasers Jim Foose, EJ McDonell, Wes Johnston and Dave Soja all had issues that prevented a solid showing at Gateway.

Only one Chevrolet team finished among the top 5, Corey Gordon, who made his first ASRS Craftsman Truck Series start. One Toyota, two Dodges and one Ford made up the Top 5.

JF2-Red Bull Racing played a little trick on the competition with a double take as Jim Foose and Wes Johnston both drove Red Bull Energy Drink backed Silverados. Johnathon Caddell debuted a brand new black and gree Tahoe Smokeless Tobacco Dodge, while Caleb Hindes showed off his Vitamin Water Toyota.

Many elements came together to create a great race at Gateway International Raceway, as the Craftsman Truck Series heads to New England for the 100 lap event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Round #3 of the Chase for the Championship and Round #18 on the 25 race 2008 schedule.

Server Move Complete

2008-08-29T14:17:00.002-04:00

After a week of limbo, the ASRS Server move has been completed. As of August 27th, we have joined the NRT Redline Server family. The customer service with NRT/Redline is phenomenal and the quality of service is unbeatable. We are very satisfied with the move to say the least.

During a test at Atlanta Motor Speedway it was noted that the ping for many drivers had dropped dramatically compared to the old server. Better connections, means better racing for us all! We are happy to be with NRT/Redline and look forward to a long relationship with them.

NRT/Redline also offers servers for rFactor and ARCA Sim Racing, in fact they were involved in developing servers for ARCA Sim Racing tests prior to the public release. With NRT, we at ASRS feel our potential is greater than ever!

What does 2009 hold for ASRS?

2008-08-29T11:34:00.002-04:00

Many options are being looked at for the 2009 American Sim Racing Series season. The possibility of a COT Series as well as the realignment of the current divisions to give each its own unique identity are options as of right now. We have several other options we are looking at but instead of creating a false sense of hope for our members we will continue to work on them before announcing any changes. Only time will tell.

Goodbye Mesa Marin, Hello Chicagoland

2008-08-21T21:04:00.003-04:00

The 2009 ASRS Craftsman Truck Series schedule has been released and the only major change is addition of the Chicagoland event which replaces long time Craftsman Truck Series track, Mesa Marin Raceway.

Mesa Marin Raceway has hosted the ASRS Craftsman in each of the four seasons since the series inception in 2005. It was Mesa Marin where 2006 and 2007 series champion Jim Foose scored his first Pole Award. It was Mesa Marin where alot of the action the series has seen for the first four years of it's existence has taken place. But now it is time to move on, Mesa Marin has been torn down for three years, the result of a housing development. Even in 2008, the initial ASRS schedule did not feature Mesa Marin, but after much debate the powers to be agreed it was a date worth keeping. In fact, Mesa Marin was one of just three former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series tracks on the schedule, filling the double dates on the schedule. With Atlanta dropping it's second date, Atlanta will assume the March event traditionally held at Mesa Marin.
With every door that closes, a new one opens.

Chicagoland Speedway, long known as a hotbed for testing Craftsman Trucks, since NASCAR does not allow testing at venues on the schedule and Chicagoland was the only 1.5 mile tri-oval in the United States that was not on the truck schedule. Chicagoland has also become a hotbed for ASRS testing. When the series administration felt the drivers needed more track time on the 1.5 mile tracks, it was Chicagoland that scored a testing date. When the ASRS needed a new venue for the National Series it chose Chicagoland. And now with NASCAR choosing Chicagoland for the Truck Series, ASRS has once again chosen the 1.5 mile speedway for 2009.

"What makes Chicagoland unique is that the backstretch is not straight, it is actually curved, and that really gives the drivers more room to pass and more room to race" Jim Foose, ASRS President said. "I said it after we tested there in July, the place deserves a date, I was ready to make it happen right then and there, but now I am very excited that NASCAR has chosen to do so and that opened the door for us to go there as well. In a one hour test, we ran more side by side than nose to tail. It will be one exciting race for all of us".

So as the door closes on Mesa Marin, another opens for Chicagoland Speedway. Everyone at ASRS is happy to add Chicagoland to our schedule in 2009, but we are also sad to lose Mesa Marin.

2009 Craftsman Truck Series Schedule Released

2008-08-21T21:03:00.005-04:00

(Cleveland, OH) The 2009 ASRS Truck Series Schedule was released this afternoon. The total number of races remains at 25 events. The schedule will take the Truck Series to 25 different race tracks over the course of nine months.

Highlights of the 2009 schedule:

Atlanta Motor Speedway takes the mid-March date from Mesa Marin. Mesa Marin had hosted the Truck Series in each year of it’s existence, dating back to 2005.
Chicagoland Speedway receives the fall date from Atlanta Motor Speedway, the 1.5 mile tri-oval will host it’s first ASRS Truck Series race in 2009. The event will move to late August.
Talladega Superspeedway will host it’s annual event in late October, becoming the 22nd event of the season.
Two events will be held on Tuesday evenings, Mansfield Motorsports Park on May 19 and Bristol Motor Speedway August 18.
Two former NASCAR Truck Series tracks will fill the double dates for Martinsville Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. Music City Motorplex will host an event on October 22nd, while South Boston Speedway will host an event on November 5th.

2009 Schedule: http://racepointsmanager.com/pm3/?league=1192&frame=&o=schedule&s=6&season=2009

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

Craftsman Truck Series Chase for the Championship Kicks off!

2008-08-21T20:58:00.003-04:00

The ASRS Craftsman Truck Series kicked off the 2008 Chase for the Championship in Bristol on a Tuesday night and for the second time in three years, it was Jim Foose taking home the trophy. Foose used a no pit stop strategy to earn both wins at Bristol. Check out the slideshow of photos to see all the exciting action from the .533 mile Bullring. Foose currently leads EJ McDonell by 15 points.

2008-08-19 CTS Bristol

Chicagoland Test a Success!!!

2008-07-31T23:21:00.003-04:00

The ASRS Craftsman Truck Series took to the Chicagoland Speedway Thursday night for some testing at the 1.5 mile tri-oval. Robert Matthews in his Last Lap Motorsports Toyota Tundra turned the quickest lap at 30.954 seconds, 174.452MPH. Matthews was followed by Skip Honaker's Chevrolet at 30.960 seconds, 174.419 MPH. Timmy Johnston in the #81, current runner up int he ASRS Craftsman Truck Series point standings, EJ McDonell in the #33, Series points leader and two time defending Champion of the Truck Series, Jim Foose in 5th and Steve Buhala's #10 Dodge turned the 6th fastest lap of the one hour session.

The drivers in attendance praised the track for it's multi-groove surface and walked away from the session pleased with the results. At the end of the practice session, the drivers ran a mock race for the final 10 minutes of practice. Foose and Honaker both took turns at the lead, battling side by side for many laps in that 10 minute session, with Foose finally edging out Honaker at the finish line as the red and black flags waved to signal the end of the session.

"Our Interstate Batteries Chevy Silverado ran great all night, we were surprised by the number of choices we were given at this track, you could run low, high, or in the middle, and we did. Our truck ran real good up high and down low and when we were in the draft we could go anywhere on the track. This track really needs a truck date in 2009, but if they don't get it, we will be back to test here again next year".

-Jim Foose, Driver #42 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet

"I agree what a fun track there where many groves to use and was a blast to test at. I think it will be a great track to have on the schedule."

-Skip Honaker, Driver #2 Camping World/RVs.com Chevrolet

"This is all of ASRS wrapped up into one track, it's got drafting, coasting, side by side action and some differing lines, it's a great racetrack. It's got everything."

-EJ McDonell, Driver #33 Roadloans Chevrolet

Track: CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY
Date: 07/31/08

Session: Practice

P # DRIVER TIME
1 88 R Matthews 30.954 Toyota
2 2 S Honaker 30.960 Chevrolet
3 81 T Johnston 31.121 Chevrolet
4 33 E McDonell 31.131 Chevrolet
5 42 J Foose 31.160 Chevrolet
6 10 S Buhala 31.177 Dodge

ASRS Celebrating 400th race with 40% off Registration!!!

2008-07-31T16:59:00.002-04:00

(Cleveland, OH) The American Sim Racing Series is hosting its 400th race on Tuesday, August 5th with the ASRS Outlaw Paintshop All American Series Snowflake 100 at Five Flags Speedway. And to celebrate will be offering 40% off the price of an ASRS Membership as well as 40% off the cost of Race Sponsorships.

ASRS Membership will now be $3.00 (savings of $2) for the duration of the promotion, which is scheduled for the ENTIRE month of August. ASRS Race Sponsorships for regular events will now cost $15.00 (savings of $10) for the remainder of the 2008 season.

“While we are celebrating our 400th race, we also are slashing prices due to the economy” said Jim Foose, ASRS President. “We feel this is a great thing to help out anyone looking for great online racing, especially since as far as I know none of us are millionaires. Hopefully, it will bring some new faces into ASRS and we can showcase the great racing we have here to those new faces!”

The American Sim Racing Series races Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. The ASRS Outlaw Paintshop All American Series races every Tuesday evening, while the BozPc National Series and Modified Series share Wednesday nights and the ASRS Craftsman Truck Series races a total of 25 events per year on Thursday nights. Information on each division as well as the American Sim Racing Series is available at www.americansimracing.com. Stop by and give ASRS a try!

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

Reconnecting

2008-07-28T14:41:00.002-04:00

ASRS has seen many great races, and as of late the cautions counts have been lower and the quality of racing much higher. But, the car count has dwindled along the way, some drivers left for scheduling reasons, others left because they felt they weren't wanted here and others left because they were a hazard on the track and finally realized that. We are not here to draw conclusions on people, and we aren't going to judge our members by how one or two races goes. But, we are here to create the BEST online racing community around, and we have worked very much to improve on our strengths and overcome and improve our weaknesses. We feel that the product (our on track action) is a great value to anyone and that our league has a very solid foundation for the future. We have begun to open up some communication lines with former members, taking criticism about our league as well as compliments.

We must face it; we make mistakes, just like everybody else. We may not have always followed this plan, but we feel it is the best policy now: Admit when you make a mistake and learn from it. If you feel wronged by a call we make, please send an email letting us know that your feel wronged so that we can do our best to correct a problem that may exist. But please avoid the name calling, profanity and threats in your email, because quite frankly these don't add anything to your facts and more than likely will result in your email being ignored. However, if you present your side in a calm manner and allow us to do our work here as officials, we will appreciate your positive attitude and will do what we can to work with you.

As we begin to reconnect to drivers, we want to remind everyone that putting aside minor differences is what the world is about and if we can all agree to put aside these slight differences we can all make ASRS a great racing league with high car counts, high quality racing and a great community surrounding it. Together we can accomplish more than we could by ourselves. We are all a part of Team ASRS, and there is no "I" in TEAM!!!

Admitting mistakes is a great way to build to trust and integrity, two things that ASRS wants to have in it's drivers and that we would like our drivers to have in us. We aren't here to screw around and play head games with our members, we are here to race and put on great racing action.

Flag to Flag at Iowa!

2008-07-23T12:31:00.003-04:00

Sometimes everything goes right and allows a race to go caution free. The fact that it is a rarity in online racing just adds to the mystique of the caution free race. It takes a perfect track, with great drivers and patience by all in order to achieve it, but when it happens it is something truly special.

That exact scenario played out at Iowa Speedway, the 7/8th mile tri-oval in Newton, Iowa. In fact the caution free race has only occured three times in the history of the American Sim Racing Series. Let's take a look back at the three events that have gone green to checkered with no interruptions.

June 22, 2006: Craftsman Truck Series, Milwaukee, WI. Jim Foose led all 60 laps from the 2nd starting position after passing pole sitter Chuck Darling going into turn 1. Only three trucks remained on the lead lap at the finish of a race that saw Foose complete the entire event without making a pit stop.

June 5, 2008: Craftsman Truck Series, Fort Worth, TX. Nicholas Teto won the pole for the Texas event, but only led one lap before Jim Foose took the lead away, the only driver that challenged Foose was Skip Honaker, who led 12 laps around the race's mid point before relinquishing the lead to Foose again. Foose drove off with the win in that event as well. While the event did see one caution flag, it was after the white flag flew and did not slow the pace of the race whatsoever as the field raced back to the checkered flag. Again, Foose completed the event without making a pit stop.

July 22, 2008: Outlaw Paintshop All American Series, Newton, IA. Chad Williams won the pole and led the majority of the event, but was challenged by Nicholas Teto who led several times and EJ McDonell the only other driver to complete the entire 75 lap event and finish 2nd. Williams led 59 laps and took the win and for his 2nd in a row in Outlaw Paintshop All American Series.

The caution free racing shows the high quality drivers that flock to ASRS to get their racing fix and the respect that each has for the other competitors. It is simply amazing to see a race go caution free and a whole lot of fun for all. If you aren't signed up for ASRS, you should be!

Modifieds bring back the Fun!

2008-07-13T14:02:00.002-04:00

The ASRS Modified Series returned just about a month ago now, and has provided some of the most exciting, action packed racing we have seen in 2008. With three different winners over the four events run thus far, the series has proved it's value to the American Sim Racing Series.

Drivers seem to flock to the Modified Series, many enjoying the "throwback style" of the division, where each event features a 4-lap, just for fun "trophy dash" and the previous race's winner starts at the rear of the field. The racing action has been unpredictable as well, with one of the most unlikely upsets coming this past week at Thompson International Speedway. After the dominate driver, Eric McClure, was sent down pit road for jumping a mid-race restart, a rookie, Kevin Chance assumed the lead with Wes Johnston following. Johnston would wrestle the lead away from Chance as McClure lurked in the rearview mirror. McClure would try everything he had to get around Johnston, but would come up short at the finish, finishing a close second to Johnston, who led the final 12 laps, his only laps led all season.

What the Modifieds also provide is an excellent proving ground for rookie drivers, allowing drivers new to ASRS to race with the stars of the ASRS. It also is a place for drivers to gain the experience to complete in the premier division, the Craftsman Truck Series, where rookie mistakes are far and few between and drivers must prove themselves able to control their vehicle prior to gaining entry into the series. It should come as no surprise that the Craftsman Truck Series features some of the closest, cleanest racing in all of online racing!

The ASRS Modified Series features competitive racing, a "throwback style" and provides drivers with a proving ground that is quickly developing new drivers for the Craftsman Truck Series. It also is allowing drivers to have fun racing online.

National Series back in Action!!

2008-07-13T13:58:00.003-04:00

The BozPC National Series rolls into Sparta, Kentucky this week for the Kentucky 105. After a month break from racing, the drivers of the BozPC National Series are ready for battle and ready to attack the largest and fastest track on the 2008 schedule.

So far in 2008, the ASRS BozPC National Series has seen two winners through the first three events. Jim Foose kicked off the season with a win at Richmond and followed that up with a win at Mansfield in round #2 of the season. EJ McDonell kicked his season into overdrive with a win at South Boston in round #3. The Kentucky Speedway has provided some of the most thrilling racing action in the history of ASRS, with McDonell scoring a Late Model Series win in 2007, and teammate Skip Honaker winning the Craftsman Truck Series event in 2007. Eric McClure, who is scheduled to be making his BozPC National Series debut at Kentucky, won the Craftsman Truck Series event in 2006 at this track.

With the field stacked with talent and plenty of racing action around ever turn in the 105 mile event, Kentucky is one race you will not want to miss. After all Kentucky is known for horsepower and late race charges to victory, but it has also become the home of the underdogs.

What it's all about

2008-06-21T12:47:00.002-04:00

ASRS is all about the people. It is about creating a racing league that we all would like to participate in, and that is something we have done, especially over the past month. But it's about more: it's about being fair to everyone and being honest with our members and ourselves. ASRS is about treating people the right way and working with people to make it even better with every turn of events.

The key is to look ahead and not back, we cannot undo the past nor should we try to. What has happened in the past is history and we must move onto the future, a future that is as bright as ever.

While we pride ourselves on our history, we know change is inevitable. For example, where penalties were issued nearly every race in the past, we have loosened up the rules and provided our drivers with better racing and more excitement during those races. We have maintained our values, goals and mission along the way and have come out of it pretty well. We have created a great value with our league and we value our members and their ideas and opinions more than anything else here.

This blog has become a popular stop for many members of the sim racing community over the past few months and I hope everyone enjoys the posts here. After all, ASRS is about people!

-JF

Taking the Next Step: Moving Forward

2008-06-13T17:02:00.003-04:00

One thing is for certain, the ASRS has some of the best sim racers around. Recently the tide has turned and we had a mass exit just a couple weeks ago, but the quality drivers remained. Cautions have dropped, competition has risen and the number of drivers who can win any given race has increased. And with those changes, more and more quality driver have joined in the fun. A quick look at the latest additions to ASRS proves that ASRS is the place to be. Eric McClure returned after a year away, and went to Victory Lane at Michigan in the Truck Series race. Johnathon Caddell joined the series this past week and put a 6th place finish in the books at Jennerstown in the All American Series and returned the next day at South Boston to score a 4th in the East Series. The South Boston race featured 1 caution flag in a 76 lap event, a far cry from the way things were just last year. Michigan had two caution flags in 100 miles of side by side racing action at that track.

Now, drivers who have built a reputation on strong racing are joining in the fun at ASRS, and it couldn't come at a better time. The action is heating up and the Summer of Fun is just getting started.

"I'm sure there is a group that thinks ASRS is dead, but I got news for them: ASRS is here to stay and we are stronger than ever, even with them gone" commented Jim Foose, ASRS President. "They did us a favor by leaving, the constant complaining and picking fights with other members got out of hand, and we are happy to be past that".

We are coming up on a great stretch of races and with our great drivers, ASRS is the place to be. All the pieces of the puzzle are in place here at ASRS for a strong summer stretch and an even stronger fall run. And don't forget, we still have the 11th Annual All American 400 and 3rd Annual Snowball Derby coming up later this year. We have some exciting things to announce about those two events here in the near future.

So look out, the Summer of Fun is upon us and the fun is not going to stop anytime soon!

2008-06-12T17:01:00.003-04:00

As the weather outside heats up, so does the action in the American Sim Racing Series. With the Craftsman Truck Series heading into the final stretch before the Chase to the Championship and the Outlaw Paintshop All American Series declaring a Summer Champion in August, the action is hot on the track in every division. Meanwhile, the Modified Series will kick off on June 18th and the ASRS Late Model Series is back in action on June 29th. And the BozPC East Series runs a stretch of races guaranteed to produce excitement and close finishes. It's all a part of the Summer of Fun, and you could be the big winner by particpating in the best racing action available online! Stop by and get signed up at www.americansimracing.com

The American Sim Racing Series has seen continued growth since its birth in 2002. Since 2005, some of the biggest names in short track sim racing have raced in the American Sim Racing Series, making it America’s #1 Online Short Track League. For more information on the ASRS visit www.americansimracing.com.

Honest. Fair. Racing.

2008-06-12T16:35:00.004-04:00

The American Sim Racing Series was formed in 2002, long before many leagues in existence today were created. It has survived for six years because of one principle: Honest, Fair Racing.

While other leagues have struggled to survive, the ASRS has thrived and has shown that a simple structure can go along way in the online racing community. ASRS has never been about fancy graphics or false excitement, we have been about our product on the track, and that method has succeeded for many years. With ASRS you will not see the junk that other leagues post on their website to create phony excitement, there are no smokescreens, so what you see is what you get. ASRS is a genuine racing series, we strive for perfection and accuracy in our events.

At ASRS we are often imitated but NEVER duplicated.

Our administratiors are racefans and race drivers and we strive to make the online experience as realistic as possible. We are all passionate about the sport and want to bring that passion and excitement to our league, its something ASRS has done since it's creation in 2002.

We hope to see everyone here at ASRS, providing exciting racing.

Nobody is perfect

2008-05-31T19:34:00.003-04:00

Nobody is perfect, that has been said many times, many ways and by many people, and it's very true. Nobody is perfect. While we try to be flawless with this league, we make mistakes, we make bad calls and we do things that we wish we wouldn't have later on. Sometimes, we wait too long to make a change, other times we jump the gun. Sometimes we nail it right on the head and do it correctly, but we never can be assured of anything. I have never claimed to be perfect, we as ASRS Officials have never claimed to be perfect, we try our hardest and many times look pretty good doing so.

Over the course of the last two years, I have done things as the ASRS President that I regret, but I have also done things that wre called "stupid and crazy" but they worked out well for the league. I have made good calls and bad calls. I have made good decisions and bad ones along the way. But through it all I have had the best of intentions for this league and it's members.

Now, I ask you all to stick with us, while we are having somewhat of a downturn, we are building towards the future and are keeping out minds on the goal of giving everyone the best place to race.

Very soon you will all find out that Modifieds will be returning to ASRS, possibly as soon as the middle of June. I will have some news about a very special event later this summer and some exciting news for everyone involved in ASRS regarding our special events at the end of the year.

We're going to try alot of things with this league this year, some will succeed, other will fail. But please stick with us, it will all work out for the best. We need each other to keep NASCAR Racing 2003 Season alive and well, and all of us at ASRS are going to do everything we can to keep things going well for everyone!!!

-JF

Change on the Horizon

2008-05-14T00:32:00.003-04:00

Change can be a good thing, and that is our expectation here at the American Sim Racing Series. We are changing for the better. Some announcements will be made this week regarding changes we are making to make the league better for our members and to promote growth.

First off, we are making a change to our membership structure. Details will be released later this week, but this change could have a great impact on the league.

Secondly, we are going to sit back a little bit and let things work themselves out. Gone are the days of penalties flying off the walls, we are still going to penalize when necessary, but we are going to be a little more laid back about it. We feel this will not only allow our drivers to not worry about getting penalized for every little offense, but it will promote better racing.

Third, We are going to take a look at the divisions offered and realign the different series to allow everyone a chance to race in the division of their choice. The exception to this will be the Truck Series, with the strict schedule and tracks we follow, there is very little room for change.

Another change will be the forum layout, we have placed sub-forums into the division forums. Most will include an "Announcements” forum and an “Event Information” forum. These forums will allow the important information to be better organized. The “Announcements” and “Event Information” sub-forums will only allow postings by ASRS Administrators, but all members can reply to topics if they feel the need to do so.

The forums will also have a new forum going live soon, the “Question and Answer” forum will be posted as a sub-forum under ASRS General Discussion. This will be a place where members (new and old) can ask a question to the community, and receive an answer from the many talented members of ASRS.

It will be quite interesting to see how these changes work out in the long run, we will be constantly reviewing these changes and addressing any issues which may arise. We look forward to serving you, the member!

If you have any questions, comments, concerns or suggestions you can email me at jim@americansimracing.com. I will be happy to speak with anyone about the changes and what we can do to make ASRS a better place for us all!

Change can be a great, great thing!

Sincerely,

Jim Foose
President & General Manager
American Sim Racing Series
http://www.americansimracing.com
Email: jim@americansimracing.com
AOL IM: FOOSERACING42

Penalties, Procedures and Some Explanation

2008-05-06T23:27:00.001-04:00

I wish I had better news to report to all the blog readers, but I have some negative news to report. Recently a rash of suspensions have been handed down to drivers, who unfortunately did not follow the rules. So I want to take a little time to explain why some penalties are more harsh than others.

First off, as the top ranking official here at ASRS, it is my duty to ultimately decide if the penalty is appropriate and then report it to the league. This can be a challenging task at times, as different circumstances lead to different penalties. For example, a driver was suspended for an incident a few weeks back where he spun the leader after making contact with the leader no less than three times on the straightway leading up to the incident. The driver was on probation at the time (for a similar incident), and was suspended for two weeks. More recently a driver slammed another driver after the checkered flag, to pay the driver back for an earlier accident, which coincidently was not that driver’s fault. Not only did this driver hit the car he targeted, he collected the race winner and other drivers in the mess. When the smoke settled, the winner did not get to celebrate his victory with a burn out, and the other driver sat on the backstretch in smoking heap of twisted debris, but it is a simulated race so nobody got hurt. Had this occurred in a real race, the driver that retaliated probbaly would have been charged with some sort of criminal negligence. The driver was suspended indefinetely from the league for his actions and will not be eligible to return until the Series President (that’s me!) and Series Vice President determine he is no longer a threat to the orderly conduct of the ASRS.

So, two somewhat similar incidents (a driver crashes another), but different circumstances in both (one occurred during an event, the other after the event). Both drivers lost all points earned in the event the incident occurred, received probation to follow their suspension and were placed at the rear of the field, but the suspensions vary in length.

Someone is going to ask why I went through these two scenarios in detail, and the reason is this; more often than not, I hear about unfair penalties, a lack of consistency in making decisions, and bias toward particular individuals. I continue to remind our valued members that every incident involves different circumstances and therefore different levels of action that must be taken. There are some drivers who a one week suspension doesn’t matter, so a two week suspension may be issued, others are not racing for points, so a points penalty would do nothing to deter further incidents, but probation and a suspension just might. There are yet other drivers who have been suspended in the past, so a second, third or even fouth incidend should have an increased penalty.

Moreover, as much as we have tried to standardize penalties, we have realized that no two incidents are the same. What if a driver who is 27^th in points decides to crash the points leader, because his teammate is 2^nd in points and needs it to happen? Don’t think it could happen? It has.

Just two years ago, as I battled for my first Truck Series Championship the driver in 2^nd place had his teammate crash me into the wall to allow him to gain points on me. Ultimately, it led to one driver being asked not to partipate in the truck series because sadly, I was not his only victim. And even more fitting, I went on to win that championship, without using my teammates to crash the driver who pursued me. (He did not end up 2^nd in the final points, he fell out of the top battled before the season’s end).

Finally, I would like to say that while we do look at the driver’s history, the nature of the incident, who was involved, any motives we can think of, the driver’s experience with ASRS, and even the quality of the race the incident occurred in (higher series will have stiffer penalties), no two incidents are alike. Each has it’s own elements that led up to the incident and each offers its own unique circumstances.

And unlike many other leagues, we offer protests of official decisions. We set up the Championship Committee for that reason and also allow the ASRS Officials to review decisions usually the day after they are announced (before a penalty is issued, the ASRS Officials, usually two or three of them, determine the appropriate action to take and the penalty to issue).

Sometimes we let little things go, sometimes we feel as if we are being too nice and feel we must make an example out of someone, and we do. But in the end, everyone gets a fair shot. That’s what this league is about, a fair chance for us all to have fun racing online. When we lose sight of that, we lose our entire mission and purpose.

-Jim Foose, ASRS President & General Manager

It's Official 2008 has arrived!

2008-02-07T15:42:00.000-05:00

Its official! The offseason is over. With the running of the Shootout tonight for the ASRS Truck Series we have embarked on another season.

Not much has changed during the offseason, the same officials will watch over each event and many of the same tracks and events return. Even the schedules are similar to 2007. However, the biggest change is the influx of new drivers. Moreover, while total membership may be down from 2007, the quality of competition is higher than ever. The addition of the USA Series to the American Sim Racing Series fold is just a part of the new identity for America’s #1 Online Short Track League and further strengthens that motto.

The future is bright for the ASRS and the numbers show that, not only did the series grow in 2007, but also the competition became closer. The last event of 2007 featured the first ever prize paying ASRS event, when the top 3 were awarded trophies. “We most certainly would like to continue that program in 2008, but it really depends on how our finances are in the fall” stated ASRS President, Jim Foose. “We had several race sponsorships lined up at this time last season, and right now we have zero. You can say it is a lack of performance by the league, but the facts are obvious the United States economy is in recession and businesses like individuals are cutting back on spending, especially on non-essential items, and that causes the advertising dollar to contract as people cut purchases out of their budget, but at the same time it adds value to advertising as product awareness is at a key point. We actually discounted our contingency award price to attract new sponsors, and so far it has had limited success.”

“Let’s just all focus on the good points and we will have a great year, it definitely is going to be an exciting season for all of us" continued Foose.

A look forward at 2008!

2008-01-08T14:23:00.000-05:00

With the 2007 season officially behind us, it is time to look forward to 2008. 2007 was a great season, but filled with many problems that seemed to lurk around every corner we turned. From the imposter situation in the fall all the way back to the record car counts for the All American Series in February the season had its highs and lows. Some changes are occurring as we prepare for 2008, for one we have added the Free Pass to all events. This will not only tighten up the competition but will also give the lapped cars a chance to regain that lost lap and contend for the win.

One of the most important things we can take from 2007 into 2008 is the great competition we have seen. Drivers like Justin Trombley, EJ McDonell, Skip Honaker, and Daniel Pope have entered for the entire 2008 season along with the new drivers like Timmy Johnston, and Caleb Hindes (who had a successful partial season last fall). Throw into that mix drivers like Wes Johnston, Steve Buhala, Paul Boswell and Dave Soja and the talent runs through the field and the competition is as tight as ever. And then you throw in the part timers who always seem to dominate, NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Cale Gale will return for a partial schedule as well as Nashville area Legends driver Josh Berry.

“The addition of the USA Series has drawn positive feedback from most people; the only negative thing I have heard is that my attention will be split between ASRS and the USA Series. I look at it from a different perspective, the USA Series is a part of ASRS, to me it is just another division, much like the newly renamed Camping World Grand National Division is to NASCAR or the Indy Pro Series is to the IRL. It is another route for us to develop drivers and to bring more talent and attention to online short track racing, which is our goal with the acquisition of the USA Series name. I truly believe this will only strengthen our league. I was a USA Series Official in 2004 and then again for a brief time in 2005 until the doors were shut, and I can honestly say that Jimmy McKinley is the man when it comes to short track online racing. He taught me everything I know, and worked with me when ASRS was just some crazy off the wall idea. Nevertheless, all along, he knew I could do the job he needed to have done, and he worked with me and molded me into an official. Therefore, to be able to run a division under the USA Series name is my way of paying him back for all his help over the years.” –Jim Foose

One of the more exciting parts about the 2008 schedule is that Rockingham is on the schedule for the first time. Rockingham will see the ASRS Modified Series on the track October 15th, the ASRS BozPC East Series Grand National Division will crown the 2008 champion at Rockingham on October 22nd, and the Outlaw Paintshop All American Series will crown the 2008 Fall Season Champion on November 11th in a special Veteran’s Day event. Rockingham is a just a tick over a mile in length and hosted the NASCAR Cup Series for many years before big money business moved the race dates to other venues in different markets in 2005. The final event at Rockingham for the NASCAR Cup Series will forever be remembered for Carl Long’s wild flip on the backstretch, and the amazing finish between defending Cup Champion Matt Kenseth and rookie Kasey Kahne. The ASRS Administration is excited about the opportunity to showcase our divisions on the speedway.

North Wilkesboro Speedway will also have its first ASRS event in 2008, the track that has sat dormant for 11 years will see the ASRS Modified Series on July 9th, ASRS Outlaw Paintshop All American Series on July 15th, and the ASRS BozPC East Series Grand National Division on August 27th. These 3 events will pay tribute to the Wilkes County area and the Save Our Speedway group, who is trying to save the racetrack.

Other tracks that will host their first ASRS events will be the Minnesota State Fairgrounds and Watkins Glen International Speedway.

2008 will mark the return of the ASRS to the Richmond International Raceway, as the ASRS Modified Series will hit the track in late April for their inaugural event at the speedway, while the ASRS BozPC East Series Grand National Division will compete on the ¾ mile for the first time in May. The ASRS Outlaw Paintshop All American Series will also host its inaugural event at Richmond July 1st.

In other track news, the I-70 Speedway will replace Mesa Marin Raceway on the ASRS Craftsman Truck Series schedule. After 3 years at Mesa Marin, the birthplace of the Truck Series, the series moves the date to Odessa, Missouri for a 100-lap event.

Returning again for 2008 will be at least 2 special events, the 11th Annual All American 400 and the 3rd Annual Snowball Derby. Both events carry a lot of prestige and to win them is a honor for anyone.

As we turn our attention to 2008, we all need to keep a few things in mind. We’re all here to have fun, there is no need to go around attacking people and causing problems for each other. The ASRS is like a family, and we all should work together to accomplish our goals. We also need to work together to identify problems, nothing can be done about a problem or potential problem until after it is identified. So if you see or hear something you are suspicious about please contact one of the ASRS Officials. Lets make this a great season, and a memorable one. If we all work together, we can make this even better!

Have a safe and enjoyable holiday, and lets all have a prosperous new year!

The ASRS Administration,

Jim Foose, President & General Manager
Wes Johnston, Vice President/ Competition Director
Eric Bannenberg, Short Track Coordinator
Bud Watson, Communications Director
Skip Honaker, Race Official

Up Next: 2nd Annual Snowball Derby

2007-11-25T13:00:00.000-05:00

The 2nd Annual Snowball Derby is right around the corner and it is shaping up to be an interesting race. All American 400 winner Josh Berry is entered, ASRS Truck Series and East Series Champion Jim Foose is entered, as well as gaggle of fierce competitors. Surpsingly, 2007 RPM Late Model Champion Skip Honaker has yet to enter as does Jeff Dillon, the champion in the Outlaw Paintshop All American Series in the Winter and Spring seasons, as well as being the current points leader for the Fall Series.

It will definetely be a show, be sure to get signed up soon!!! You don't want to miss out.

All American 400

2007-11-19T23:11:00.001-05:00

Well the 10th Annual American 400 has come and gone, and it was not the best yet. We aren't even sure it is worth bringing back for 2008, but we plan to run it again in 2008, the 11th running of the event! It was sad to see the limited support the event was given by the ASRS members, and even worse the support it received from outside of the American Sim Racing Series membership. To call it a let down is an understatement, let's just say I am glad its over. On a positive note, the race was a far cry from the wreckfest that people expected. With GREEN FLAG pit stops in the RPM race, it was a pleasant surprise for all involved. Of the 400 laps, less than 50 were run under caution!!!

As for the week leading up to the All American 400, I experianced a rollercoaster ride, with a death in the family, removing an imposter from our server, dealing with the aftermath of that including several vulgar emails, threats and just plain rediculous claims and remarks, and then the All American 400, it was truely a wild ride. I guess the only positives of the whole week was I clinched my 2nd Craftsman Truck Series Championship at Phoenix, after a solid run, and then a win in the Super Truck 50 at Nashville to officially kick off the All American 400 weekend! It was truely a great time and I feel the company of all the members during that difficult time helped me get through it all. Thank You all!

So, now we move forward and to the 2nd Annual Snowball Derby. This an event I am really looking forward to. Put the negative publicity from the 1st one, and the event was definetely a great battle. I hope to see 50 or so of the best short track sim racers battling to make the show. It would really make it all worth it for myself and the other ASRS admins. Would be great to see some of our old friends back on the track!

-JF

Toledo Speedway Release

2007-07-20T00:32:00.000-04:00

Now that Toledo Speedway has been released for the NR2003 community, let me take everyone on a tour of how this project went together, and the details that were put into the project.

First off a huge thank you to J.R. Franklin, without him the track would not look nearly as nice as it does and wouldn't function right. He has taken every bit information I have given to him and put it into the track, no matter how small of a detail it was. He has also faciliated much of what you see, the cameras are a product of one of his contact's, the trees are his, and much of the beautiful surroundings were placed by him, including the industrial park off the backstretch.

In late 2005, I stumbled upon a very early beta of the Toledo track, and traced it back to Jeff Shrewsberry. At the time, Jeff was getitng out of track making and I guess I asked at the right moment because he gave me the project (and a much updated version). Also in on the project was Todd Garren from the Late Model Project. Todd and I worked on it, and both got busy, and the track sat on the back burner.

It wasn't until Spring of 2006 that I resumed work on the track. I ran into some troubles with the fence (never put a texture on the top of a fence, never ever!) and it kept crashing Sandbox. Each time I had to start all over again because I lost all progress when the track file wouldn't open. So, I began looking into the issue during the summer of 2006, and later that year I discovered the problem. I resumed progress and started painting walls with logos.

After discovering the photos I had dug up from the internet didnt cover the entire track and at times had differing sponsors in the same spot, I again put the track on hold, and began working on a plan to obtain more photos. So in April, I attended the ASA Late Model race at Toledo and took hundreds of photos (I was also covering the race). My dad was sent on a mission to take a photo of each billboard and the wall paint that corresponds with that section of the track, which he did.

When we got home, I found logos hard to come by for some billboards and tossed the idea around of how to fill those spots, which were filled with fictional sponsors. You will notice several sponsors which are not at the real track, but appear in the game.

J.R. came into the picture early this year and proved invaluable, I owe him a huge thanks for all his help, from the ini file, to the scenery, pit stalls, even down to his expertise in track making that helped me make up my mind on several details. When he sent me a graphic update in late June, I literally was speechless. He claims he has never been to Toledo, yet he created graphics that in my opinion looks EXACTLY like Toledo. (I think he snuck a trip to the track in without telling me).

By the way, there are a few things that are not at the real track that appear in the game and I will tell you why.

-Theres jersey barriers on the frontstretch in the game, but none in real life. These were placed to protect the extended pit road, since Toledo does not have 43 pit stalls, and actually has shared pit stalls for the ARCA event (which cannot be done in the game), we extended pit road down the frontstretch and to avoid black flags for an unsafe pit entry (when you spin and cross the line between the track and pit road) we put up a wall. Also if NASCAR were to go to Toledo, they would have to extend the pit road and avoid the shared pit stalls.

-There is an asphalt apron in turns 3 & 4, but its just grass in real life. This apron was added for slower cars online to get out of the way, and for the AI cars to have a place to get up to speed before being dumped onto the racing surface, and also a place to slow down when entering the pits.

Anyways, almost 2 years later the track is out and the American Sim Racing Series is ready to battle on the high banks of this ultra fast 1/2 mile. Reach up and pull those belts tight one more time! Let's go racin' boys!

-Jim

Happy 4th of July!

2007-07-03T23:00:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable 4th of July! We support our troops!

Welcome

2007-06-21T18:19:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the American Sim Racing Series' blog. I hope you will enjoy reading about our big events, accomplishments, our administrative team, upcoming events and just stories from within the American Sim Racing Series.